Just in: Some 10 people including Struggle Committee members Adv. S. Sivasubramanian, Rajalingom from Koodankulam have been arrested.

The Tamil Nadu State government is increasing the police strength in front of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP). Heavy police force has been posted in a few major junctions around Koodankulam. The ADGP (Additional Director General of Police) three DIGs (Deputy Inspector Generals) and ten SPs (Superintendents of Police) are present at Koodankulam. The Tirunelveli District Collector has been inviting us (specifically five people, S.P. Udayakumar, M. Pushparayan, M.P. Jesuraj, S. Sivasubramanian, and Fr. F. Jayakumar) since last evening to get some clarifications on the petition we had given to the Chief Minister on February 29, 2012. We pointed out that only our experts could answer those questions. It is pertinent to note that no attempt has been made so far to talk to them by the central or state governments or the expert teams constituted by these governments. In the meantime, the State government’s cabinet is meeting at 12:30 PM and they are expected to announce their stand on the KKNPP issue.

There are rumors that we all could be arrested soon and they may decide to re-start the KKNPP. WE ARE READY! We have a few specific issues we want you to know about though:

[1] The Government of India, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), and the KKNPP have not conducted any emergency preparation drills or evacuation exercises to prepare the people within 30 km radius for any possible nuclear disasters. If these authorities try to load nuclear fuel rods without doing these mandatory exercises, it would be deemed illegal by India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) rules, IAEA’s and other international stipulations. These authorities should reveal to the world the complete and exhaustive details of these exercises if they had conducted them. The date, time, place, location, and the names of the participants of all these exercises should be revealed by these authorities in concurrence with the District Collector of Tirunelveli.

[2] The Government of India and the State Government of Tamil Nadu should consult our experts and study their findings with the help of Indian and international experts if they care for the lives of Indian citizens and not for the profits of Russian corporations.

[3] If the KKNPP reactors are the best in the whole world, why doesn’t Russia want to give any liability to the people? Why do they sign a secretive IGA (Inter-Governmental Agreement) with the Government of India and hide behind such moves and avoid the whole issue of liability?

The tension is increasing; the government are acting in a high-handed manner. Please keep an eye on us.

S. P. Udayakumar

People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE)

National Alliance of Anti-nuclear Movements (NAAM)

Mobile: 91-98656-83735

Email: drspudayakumar@yahoo.com, spudayakumar@gmail.com

Press Release

March 19th 2012

Government should Desist from Repression of Struggle at Kudankulam

As the TN Govt has shown green signal today for the commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear plant, thousands of policemen have been deployed at Kudankulm and they have arrested about 150 activists, it has become clear that the government is using highhanded methods to suppress the struggle. Struggle leaders including Adv. Sivasubrahmaniam, have been arrested today. Dr SP Udayakumar and Pushparayan have started an indefinite hunger strike in protest against repression and demanding withdrawal of Police force and immediate release of the arrested. People are gathering at Kudankulam in thousands in spite of police blockade of all highways and helicopter patrolling in the sky

The Government of India, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL), and the KKNPP have not conducted so far any emergency preparation drills or evacuation exercises to prepare the people within 30 km radius for any possible nuclear disasters. If these authorities try to load nuclear fuel rods without doing these mandatory exercises, it would be deemed illegal by India’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) rules, IAEA’s and other international stipulations. The nuclear authorities have coolly violated even this statutory provision. The hollowness of the government’s assurances of ‘safety’ is further revealed by Russia’s unwillingness to accept even the very limited liability our laws envisage, in case of an accident.

The kudankulam struggle is against inflicting on the Indian people, a technology that has been too expensive , dangerous and threatening. The people are strongly united in their struggle against the nuclear plant, but the government is insisting on going ahead with the project. By suppressing the Kudankulam struggle with an ‘iron fist’, it wants to demonstrate to its international masters that the promise of nuclear parks all over India will be fulfilled and the business deal of approx. Rs 4 lakh crore envisaged by the Indo- American nuclear pact can be realized, even by resorting to violence against peaceful protesters

We condemn the anti-democratic and repressive measures of the authorities and express our strong support to the valiant struggle against the plant. As it is a struggle, not merely against a nuclear project but for protecting democracy itself, we request all like-minded people to lend support to the struggle in all possible ways.